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Monastery Pantenger
The Monastery Pantenger is a cloistered community dedicated to the raising up of holy warriors, situated in the hill country of central Sunpeak, a Ravenite earldom. Dedicated to no god but to the principles of law and goodness, the monastery is a secluded but well-defended institution, and is popular with its neighbours. History Founded by Tomas Pantenger in 2225 as a ideological retreat, the monastery was initially no more than a comfortable, remote place for Pantenger and his close allies to spend time in meditation and prayer. However, it quickly drew adherents, and Pantenger found himself at the head of a large group of volunteers and would-be acolytes. Tomas Pantenger was a foremost member of a philosophical movement popular at that time called the "Deliberate Atheists". The fundamental belief of this group was that, while the gods certainly existed and the evidence thereof was plain, it was less clear that the gods had the wellbeing of mortals as their top priority, and that therefore the gods were unworthy of the worship of mortals, who should instead find ideas, concepts or beliefs unto which they could devote their faith. While the Deliberate Atheists found themselves the target of intense scorn and various religious denunciations, Pantenger and his inner circle were able to establish a compound on his family's lands in the Earldom of Sunpeak. After a number of fractures and schisms among the community, Pantenger and his chosen followers exiled their rivals and shut themselves off for several years. When the gates of the compound opened, years later, it transpired that Pantenger and his most loyal followers had come to see value in the cloistered monastic orders of the major religions, and had decided to establish something similar amongst their own number. Having successfully created their new order, they were now seeking acolytes who sought to pursue the ideological goals of Good and Law outside of established religion. The new order happened to find very fertile soil, and hundreds of would-be acolytes enlisted as neophytes to explore the philosophy embraced by Pantenger and his order. While many of these neophytes left disappointed, many more took vows and became members of the order. It was shortly after this return to a degree of public engagement that the theological significance of Pantenger's order became apparent. With the apparent blessing of no deity, Pantenger ordained clerics and paladins, who were as capable and as well-trained as any produced by a major faith. All of these clerics and paladins had taken oaths of service and charity, and they rapidly became very popular amongst the laity - especially because, unlike the clerics of the major faiths, they refused to accept payment for their spellcasting. The practice of the clerics and paladins of the Pantenger tradition of going out and doing good works brought fresh condemnation upon them from the high priests of Raven. The high priests appealed to the king to quash this upstart group who were threatening their own charitable works - and the income generated thereby. The king declined to intervene in what he described as a "theological matter" and advised the high priests that, since they claimed their deities to be omnipotent, they might be better suited to deal with something that clearly fell under their portfolio. Outraged by the king's indifference to their anger, the high priests instead attempted to rile up the populace against Pantenger and his followers, without notable success. The situation looked to be escalating towards violence, when a high-level meeting between Pantenger and several of the senior high priests was able to establish a settlement. The Monastery Pantenger would become a fully cloistered order, its members only permitted to leave by permission of the abbot and even then only for serious, significant quests - and no more than ten percent of the monastery's sworn members could be under such permission at any time. Tomas Pantenger bent his neck and agreed to these conditions, and the threat of open religious war was averted. But Pantenger had planned for this eventuality, and prepared carefully. His first step was to massively increase the intake of neophytes, allow him to expand the monastery's economic output by producing high-quality honey, mead and other foodstuffs. The second step was to establish the highest-quality training regimens he could devices. If he would be able to send forth only a tenth of his clerics, they would be the finest clerics in the land. If he could send forth only a tithe of his paladins, they would be paladins of such unswerving faith and commitment that they would shine brighter than any other. In these goals he succeeded. The clerics and paladins produced by the monastery became known as the Knights Pantenger. However, in the years following, the monstery continued to grow. New areas of specialisation became apparent, the focus of training as powerful and effective as applied to the Knights. The first such "offshoot" group were those dedicated to Pantenger's ideals as well as mastery of their bodies, and these warriors became known as the Monks Pantenger. The monastery now produces not only Knights and Monks, but also trained warmages, fighters and rangers, although these groups are generally referred to simply as "Brothers Pantenger", regardless of their actual gender. This term technically applies to all who have taken oaths committing them to the Order of Pantenger, but the ten percent limit only applies to clerics and paladins. Philosophy Tomas Pantenger held to two great philosophical tenets in his life, and his adherents cling to them still. The first is the rejection of the automatic right of the gods to demand the worship of mortals - that mortals might choose to grant that worship is their own affair. The second is that only a true and heartfelt devotion to the concepts of Good and Lawfulness can bring peace and happiness into the lives of mortals, and that these goals should be the objective of all Pantenger's followers. This second tenet has led to the belief amongst followers of Pantenger that the best way to support those outside the monastery in the pursuit of these ideals is to help the needy and destitute - not only because this is both Good and Lawful, but it will aid those who are helped to follow that path themselves. It is not unusual, therefore, to see powerful Knights Pantenger feeding flocks, cleaning out ditches, carrying water and curing children of minor aliments. Military Prowess It is a matter of national policy that the Brothers Pantenger are not a military force. However, on at least seven occasions throughout the nation's history, the monastery has deployed the entirety of its sworn members, ignoring even the ten percent limit, to fight in the service of Raven. They are a strategic resource of considerable value to the Ravenite military. Category:Military Organisations